Royal scales and Broken guns
by Blue Dragon's Rider
Summary: The Elders rule over the Human and Viper races through the powerful Advent forces, which support their regime. It seems that the only way to achieve freedom is for the two races to fight together against their shared enemy. But, is such a union even possible, when there is so much bloodshed between them? Can anyone unite their races, and overcome the hatred both feel for the other?
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: ****The Elders rule over the Human and Viper races through the powerful Advent forces, which support their tyrannical regime. It seems that the only way to achieve freedom is for the two races to fight together against their shared enemy. But, is such a union even possible, when there is already so much bloodshed between them? Can anyone unite their races, and overcome the hatred both feel for the other and if so, how? Time is running out and action must be taken.**

**A/N Hi everyone. Thank you for giving attention to this fanfiction. A few notes before we start reading. 1. This is HumanxViper pairing fanfic, yeah another one. 2. I am going to dive quite deeply into writing the vipers' way of life and describing their lifestyle, but eventually, we will get to see X-com, Commander and all this kind of stuff. 3. This is a try shot. If I see that this story gets some love, I will surely continue it. I accept any reviews: bad or good they would be. Hope you enjoy!**

**Prologue**

Flakes of dry sand were tossed around by gusts of faint wind. Stars, glanced down from the night sky, watching over the torpid desert, which was peaceful. Except for a few small bustling rodents, nobody disturbed the grains of sand. At the desert's edge, as if they were ancient guards, stood several high mountains, plowing the flat surface of the planet. Deep valleys and steep, sharp stone cliffs gave them an appearance of inclemency and hardness, scaring away uninvited guests.

But there were those who found shelter between the tough rocky walls. A long time ago, the planet's changing surface left many wondering caves within the rockwork, which protected their hosts not only from the scorching sun and harsh wind, but hid them from unfriendly eyes as well.

Even if most of these caves were empty or abandoned by the ones who had lived here previously, one of them still had clear traces of the residency. Near its entrance meandered several tracks, leading in and out.

The ceilings and walls were thoroughly polished and rounded by tools, form the place into the shape of a large U. The hallow consisted of a few smaller cavities, ultimately merging into one tunnel. A few pieces of furniture adorned murky room, formed from metal and plastic. In the fireplace smoldered a few live coals enlightened with a faint light, giving them a phantasmal appearance.

Grave silence prevailed in the cavern, interrupted only by the coals' crackling and soft, rhythmic breathing, spreading from the largest of the cavities. Three still, coiled shapes lay upon the floor. Bedrolls were formed from a thin layer of leather and fur.

For some time, all that could be heard was the perishing coals and soft breathing until one of the creatures slowly opened its eyes. It's pupils, adapting to darkness, transformed into round circles instead of the slits they had previously been, letting her observe her surroundings. Tasting the air, her forked tongue periodically flicked in and out of her mouth.

Seeing everyone else was still in a deep sleep, she slipped out from her sleeping place and slithered into the corridor. She was careful not to make a sound, even as she dragged her long, serpentine body. She put to use several of her skills, gained during the hunt. The slightest sound could give away your position and doom the hunt to failure. But she had some of the best teachers. As soon as her scales had changed from sky blue to a colorful pattern that showed her maturity, she had began hunting with her mother and sister.

At least that was the case _before_. Now, their party merely consisted of herself and her mother. When she was younger, her sister was called to serve in the Advent army.

As she passed through the firebox, she glanced at the still-smoldering coals. She clutched a few blue pebbles and with a careless, yet precise motion, threw them into a black hole. The blue crystals, as they were called by the local inhabitants of the planet, clicked in joy after feeling the warmth and danced the dance of fire.

She moved through the rest of the cave, the cave that had been her home since her birth, towards the entrance. When the curtains, which separated the cave from outside, were pulled back, the cold night air hit her in a wave, pulling away the last remnants of sleep and causing an uncontrolled shiver to spread throughout her body.

As with the rest of her kind, she did not like the cold. Unlike some animals, their bodies borrowed heat from the environment, leaving them in an unpleasant situation in the cold. Luckily, in Harena, where the vast part of the surface was made up of sandy deserts, the days of heat prevailed, creating excellent conditions for life. Only at night, the temperature dropped significantly, but not so much that it would endanger their life.

Trying to defend herself from the breeze, she clenched her hood with a variety of spots around her neck, covering part of her face as well. Her hands automatically crossed her chest. Long claws rested on the thin scales of her hands. They covered her firm, but the graceful and flexible body with various patterns as they shone in blue, green and yellow colors. On each of her cheeks, there was a decorative large dark blue spot, highlighting her blue eyes, which still shone with youth.

She felt warmer, but the tip of her tail did not stop twitching, and although her nature wanted the sun and heat, she couldn't deny the peace which night brought along with the coolness. It seemed to be able to hide and submerge everything into oblivion, leaving the world in mysterious shadows. In the nighttime, she sometimes would look for her own peace when her thoughts were too distracting.

She pulled her eyes away from the desert under the hillside and raised her head slightly to the sky. A sickle-shaped, bright white light caught her gaze. Khaja, Harena's the greatest satellite, slowly slid down to the horizon, finishing its journey across the sky.

Her grandmother, their family's matriarch and head, once told her that it was showing the way for the souls of their relatives to the world of the dead. The schools set up by the Advent authorities were of a different opinion. According to them, it is just another cosmic body running around Haren and having no connection with their souls, calling such thoughts fictional tales. To support most of their scientific facts, they denied most of the truths of faith. According to them, the Big Bang was the beginning of everything, of all the stars and planets. This opposed the teachings that the universe was formed from the scales of the great goddess Nyra.

How silly. The universe did not seem to be ready to explode, nor had it seemed to have happened before. She slithered by the solid ground. How could it have been created by a certain explosion?

She turned her gaze away from the satellite toward the dark moon-lit horizon. The owner of the shadow was a high sandhill in the middle of the desert. Starting the count the stars over the hill, she slid her finger up, silently murmuring. It wasn't the first time she'd done this, so she didn't get lost in the crossing webs of stars, following the straight path.

_26… 27… 28… Here!_

She was looking for was a weak light in the sky which was surrounded by two brighter ones. There, five years ago, her sister had departed. To a planet named Earth. It could be seen during only particular nights. It was the reason she'd awoken earlier than she had to.

Her thoughts about the light hanging in the sky were twofold. Although deep in her heart there was the hatred for the planet that had taken away her sister, she could not refuse the curiosity she felt while looking in the sky. Sometimes she imagined herself in the place of her sister flying through space, visiting places that might not have visited by any other Excetra.

Unfortunately, not everything was so romantic as she tried to imagine. The cause why Thyra, as her sister was named, in the honor of the last queen of free Harena, had to leave them. This war was taking place on Earth.

She didn't know the details, but from what she overheard, the war took place between the local rebels who did not accept the occupying power of the Advent, and the Advent itself. Harena belonged to the so-called Planetary Friendship and Cooperation Confederation, led by the Elders Council. The members of the union have committed to support a colonizing policy of Elders, both materially and militarily. Harena was no exception. According to the military obligation imposed here, at least one family member had to be in active military service. The service was carried out in one of the warring planets the Elders council decided was to be colonized. The duration of such service was ten summers.

Five summers had already passed. Five summers yet remained until her sister would return back home.

She firmly pressed the triangle, bright-orange scale, hanging on her neck.

_"This will remind you of me, no matter where I am, little sister,"_ Thyra said before stuffing the scale into her palm and slithering into the spaceship that would take her away.

The rooted longing awoke once more, and before she could stop herself, a single tear dropped from her cheek.

"You're early today, Thysa," she heard a familiar voice say behind her, which scattered the flow of sad thoughts.

Thysa cleaned the wet cheek with a barely noticeable movement and turned back to look into her mother's red eyes. She was standing straight and serious, holding the half-folded curtains. The starry night lit her orange and green scales and beige hood.

Her mother finally closed the curtains and approached her. Each tail movement was accurate and calculated. Thysa often envied the perfect balance her mother held.

"I couldn't sleep," she said quietly.

The elder Excetra looked into her eyes for a few moments, looking for an answer before moving her gaze towards the sky in the same direction as she had recently looked.

A sad, understanding smile appeared on her features.

"I'm thinking of her too."

Her mother's compassion for Thysa was unusual, but before she could to say something, she felt how the older woman's attention was upon her again.

"We have to go," her mother said quite coldly, motioning with her hand.

Thysa only now noticed a long metal stick and spool of a rough rope held in her healthy hand. Another one was wounded during her service.

"It will be dawn soon."

And far off, along the horizon line, there was a sliver of pale red, predicting the next day. Not delaying, Thysa hurried inside, towards the metal chests placed in the corner. She was thrilled by the feeling of warm air of cave. She opened the lid before pulling out the crossbow. The gun looked luxurious. The casing was carved out of white bone, and the limbs were made of bent steel. The carved snakes waved over the entire frame of the crossbow, but the true purpose of the weapon was not as refined as it appeared from the side.

Before closing the chest, Thysa took two bolts from the bottom and placed them in the bracket at the bottom of the crossbow. She usually didn't need more than one. Keeping behind the leather strap, she looped the gun over her back and head back to her patiently waiting mother.

When Thysa came, her gaze was directed somewhere far, far away. As her mother saw her, she returned from wherever her mind was and nodded after noticing the crossbow hanging off her back. She lowered her upper body to the ground and began to descend down to the still dormant desert, leaving a deep imprint in the loose sand.

She glanced for the last time at the sky, where the stars, one after another, began to fade. Then she shifted the crossbow to a more comfortable position and followed her mother, feeling the cold sand shifting under her scales. The feeling was uncomfortable, but the excitement that accompanied a hunt quickly meant it was forgotten.


	2. The hunt

**A/N Alright, some words before going further. Thank you to everyone who reviewed this story. This chapter is here only because of you. Also what I want to say that I have no idea how often I am going to upload updates or if there is going to be the next chapter at all. I have a very clear vision of the plot and how it is going to evolve, all details of Vipers' world included, but that's a problem. I prefer making up the stories not writing them. So yeah...**

**If something is unclear I am more than happy to answer your questions. The chapter is not edited by Beta-reader so all mistakes are mine and there certainly are some of them.**

**Please review, because who knows, maybe your review will persuade me to write more. I hope it doesn't sound as reviews whoring. **

_See you soon/Iki greito/__À bientôt_

* * *

The hunt

The cool air of the night with every breath rushed through her nostrils and lungs, pinching them. The icy fingers were sliding beneath the scales, slowing and restraining her movements. Despite that Thysa followed her mother's figure without complaining.

They descended down by meandering valleys, which carved the mountains array, not meeting any living being on the way. Even the wind finally subsided, leaving them in a tensed silence. Anyone else would have easily gone astray in this naturally formed maze, but in the ramifications, the older Excetrawould not stop for a moment, always knowing the way. These hills and rocks were their home for as long as Thysa remembered herself.

As they passed a narrow gorge, pressed by steep rock cliffs on either side, they found themselves at the foot of the mountains before a never-ending sea of sand dunes in front of them. The sickle of Khaja already was hidden behind the horizon, and only the brightest stars were still shining in the sky, slowly resigning for the ever-brightening sky.

The weather was warming up a bit, but it was still freezing cold. The low temperature made her breath hard, her heart was pounding in her chest and her thoughts were unbearably slow. Tail movements became sluggish, and though Thysa saw her mother feeling the same way, they continued the journey. If you delay too much time and miss an opportunity, the family will be left without food. An empty stomach was a more unpleasant thing than a bit of cold.

She corrected the crossbow position on her back, rubbing her hands as she tried to get the cold out of them. Meanwhile, her mother was blowing warm air into her palms, making a soft hiss. But in general, they walked in silence, as usual in hunting. Unless several words were interlaced. Thysa was not talkative, and the mother, after her sister's departure, closed inside herself, as with her daughter would have left a part of her. But according to grandpa, her mother was always prone to hiding emotions and being cold, and now it's only got worse. And when Thyra, her sister, inherited these traits, Thysa was faster to show her emotions like her father. Father she never saw. While she was still peacefully laying in the egg, a mine disaster struck. When someone lit a crystal clod, an explosion occurred, killing everyone who worked there, including her dad. Mom looked after four summers Thyra that day.

Mom avoided talking about it, what Thysa fully understood. And when she differed from her mother in all qualities, the sharp eye was her legacy. She not even knew how to use a crossbow thrown over her shoulder, but was a great shooter. She was able to count missed shots on her eight fingers. She was proud of that. Rare of her kin ever held a crossbow, let alone been able to use it.

As they slowly continued their journey along the sierra through the wind-blown dunes, the sky gained the prism of all colors; from purple and blue to red and orange. The air soon became pleasantly warm. Her tail even shivered with pleasure as she felt the heat slowly returning to her veins.

Suddenly, a bright light flooded the world like fire, scattering all the remnants of the morning haze. Thysa with her eyes closed lifted her head, meeting the rising suns. Astra and Arona, the two star-sisters, began their journey in the heavenly vault. One from the east, the other from the west, they would travel throughout the sky until finally, they would meet at noon, merging into one circle, thus shining only more vividly and brightly. They were the reason life could have existed in Harena, providing the much-needed warmth. As a result, they were of great importance in the culture of Excetras'.

Thysa's thoughts were interrupted when suddenly her mother stopped and invited her to come closer. It seemed she hadn't even noticed the new dawn. The cold manner remained in her movements, only when Thysa got nearer, she noticed a slight liveliness in her eyes.

"What can you say about them?" The elder Excetraasked, without taking her gaze off the ground.

Thysa looked at the same direction, seeing small hollows in the sand. They led from the middle of the desert and followed towards the mountains. She leaned closer to the ground, resting her hands on the sand that had already been warmed by the two suns, to inspect the traces closer.

"From their shape and depth, I guess a _belay_ passed by," she looked at her mother, but nothing changed in her expression. A sign that she was heading in the right direction. "Maybe six to seven summers old. Steps are wide. Probably a male. Healthy and strong. Serious opponent. The footprints are quite fresh," She put out a sensitive forked tongue just beside one of the footprints in the sand. After a moment, he pulled it back, tasting the smell and trying to decipher the information it was giving.

"The scent is fresh. Judging by everything, he passed by here about half an hour ago." She finally concluded her observation by retreating from the ground.

Being able to read traces was one of the first things she learned in hunting, even before she learned how to shoot a crossbow. Such checks were made to see if she hadn't lost these skills. Elder Excetra nodded in agreement for her relief.

"You're right, though I wouldn't be surprised if this male is nine summers old. A really serious opponent, " Mother looked around as hoping to see the wandering owner of these footprints. "I thought they no longer come in these lands. Several summers have passed since I saw one. It seems I was wrong, "Her gaze stopped at the mountains, in the direction where the footprints led. "He probably pulls towards the source of the water and I guess which one. If we are in a hurry, we can still overtake it with road shortening. Well done, Thysa, "Mother praised her before turning to continue the hunting, this time at a much faster pace.

Thysa curved her tail shyly. Mother rarely wasted of praises.

For a while, they followed the footpaths, leading straight to the brown peaks of stone. While they were going uphill by one of the dunes, Thysa felt something steep buried in the sand with the scales of her belly. Not bothering to lean over, she unearthed a layer of sand and stared at the finding with surprise. There was nothing else but a blue crystal. Grabbing it, Thysa rotated the sharp-edged pebble with interest.

Usually, the crystal layers lay deep beneath the earth, hiding from the outside world and waiting for someone to dig them out. In order to reach the enormous seam of the Blue crystal, a thick layer of rock and sand had to be overcome.

"Thysa," her mother called, dragging her attention.

She stood on the top of the dune. From her gaze, Thysa realized that she wanted to show her something. Quickly, she overcame the rest of the dune, approaching the patiently waiting Excetra.

What she saw made her gasp. There was a giant pit in front of her. Its width within 50 _belays_, placed one after the other, and the bottom… the bottom couldn't be seen. It disappeared into the black abyss, which absorbed every ray of light that fell inside. The sides of the rock were cut into the precise spirals, swirling down, eventually disappearing into the darkness.

"The abandoned mine," the Mother stated the obvious.

Thysa was surprised not by the fact of finding the mine, but by its size. The pit's gullet was three times as wide as the usual crystal mine. She was also troubled by imagining the size of the machine that was capable of digging it.

"It seems they found a new way to excavate crystals and uglify further our planet's surface," said mother darkly. Her eyes flickered with cold flame and pent-up rage, however, she held her tongue. "Come on. We have to hurry if we still want to catch that _belay_. "

For a few more moments, Thysa seems to be hypnotized by the black abyss, not being able to drag her look away. She remembered still holding an against the suns shining pebble. Without thinking too much, she threw it into the pit. Stretching her hearing, she listened for any sound coming from it.

There was a bird howl high in the sky, but that was it. No sound or echo returned from the darkness, as the abyss could not only absorb the light but the sound as well. Keeping a safe distance, she bypassed the former mine, imagining herself the ever-falling through the endless emptiness.

_Excetras_ used this blue crystal as a source of heat. When ignited, a large amount of it was released. Properly machined, it could be turned into incandescent lamps and ornaments. Traditionally, the King's and Queen's crowns have been adorned with the brightest pieces of the Blue crystal found in Herena. And the body of the dead Excetrawould is burned by the heat accumulated in the rock. Like that, the soul of Excetraleaves the body, wherein the sky _Khaja_ was already waiting for her.

But later other ways how to use the crystal were found out. The crystal was perfect for galaxy exploring spaceships as a fuel. But this was nothing compared to the energy you could get after concentrating the heat inside the crystal into the smaller space while exploding, diffusing a green light.

Now it was a major substance of plasma rifle ammunition and explosive charges in most systems of the Planetary Friendship and Cooperation Confederation. Various usefulnesses of the Blue crystal, of which the depths of Harena was full, dragged Elders Council attention, until more than a hundred summers ago, with Advent at the forefront they attacked their planet. The brutal and debilitating war did last long. And while in their own planet fighting Excetras would do more damage and bring more casualties to the invaders than they would receive, they eventually had to surrender for the power of the Elder Council and their endless military resources.

The ultimatum of the Elders submissions was signed by at that time ruling King and Queen, whereby Harena and all its inhabitants got into the structure of the Confederation, and Queen herself was executed with her life-long mate for the crimes against _benevolent_ elders. All of this wasn't spoken in the schools of Advent, and what the little is told, less truth hides in these words.

The title of the Rulers later went to their descendants, though Thysa wasn't sure how much authority they retained in their hands. Maybe they were just puppets controlled by the Elders Council. Thysa did not know that but doubted that the Rulers of Harena would approve the kind of their planet's spoiling she was facing today. At any rate, her loyalty laid to the Queen and the King, to the leaders and guides of their race, not to the foreign aliens who controlled them from somewhere far in the galaxy.

As they reached the foot of the jagged rocky mountains, Astra and Arona were already shining high in the sky, hotter and hotter. Thysa felt a surge of energy inside her. It was their curse and blessing at the same time. Although in the cold they were left in an unpleasant and vulnerable situation, in the warmness their strengths could heighten a few times, letting for them beat bigger opponents.

On the brown, wind-blasted stone it wasn't possible to follow the tracks anymore, only the faint scent would give up the movement direction of the _belay_. As a mother guessed, the creature was heading towards the mountain spring through the wide path of the valley. Due to uncommon rainfall, freshwater supplying places, even during the wettest period, was a rarity, so it wasn't hard to have an idea which one was his goal. Instead, of following after _belay_, Excetras slipped out of the valley, heading to the narrow lane, hardly visible from the side even for the sharpest eyes owner.

Swaying between stone blocks and rocks, the narrow road allowed them to reach their desired location quicker. Due to the two suns in the sky, the shadows did not fall from the high mountains above their heads, so Thysa could feel the rays warming her scales all the time. She hadn't been to these places for a long time, so she was completely devoted to the memory and guidance of the older Excetra. Her mother knew these places as well as she was shooting with a crossbow, so she wasn't surprised when she heard the refreshing flow of water behind the giant boulder that seemed to be standing here still from the beginning of the world.

Soon they saw the spring itself, flowing rapidly down the cliffs into the pool and playfully reflecting the light. There were tall cactus along the waterfront. Their broad stems adorned with flowers of various colors.

Looking at the crystal clear water flowing, which seemed to invite her to come and drink, Thysa felt her throat dry. Unfortunately, the scent may have betrayed them, so she swallowed dry saliva, looking for a good position for the shot, but the older Excetrahad found something similar. It was a space between the rocks, far from the source without risking being seen, but close enough for a shot.

"What do you think? The mother whispered barely audibly. It was unknown, maybe the prey was already nearby.

Thysa grabbed the crossbow and appended its steelyard to her shoulder, aiming at the imaginary target.

"It's great," she replied half whispering. A slight nod was the only response.

They both held their elongated bodies to the stone, catching a glimpse towards the direction from where the so-called _belay_ had to appear.

Astra and Arona were still shining in the sky, slowly traveling through the firmament as they approached closer to each other, meanwhile, the two Excetras were still waiting. Time went by and their hunted creature showed no sign of appearance. The thirst was increasing, and the rays of the sun began to burn the unmoving scales.

Doubts were growing in Thysa's head if belay was going to show up at all, instead of leaving them on the bare stone to roast like fools. It seemed even the mother was losing patience. Her eyes dimmed, her tail jerked impatiently from time to time.

Thysa was about to surrender and move from the hiding place just before a muffled grunt sounded. She immediately regained her alertness, clutching her crossbow firmly, her fingernails squeezing into its bony frame. Excitement covered her whole body. It didn't take a few moments for the owner of the sound to emerge from behind the rock with all its_ beauty_.

Creatures low but long and large body was carried by 6 lower legs. If someone tells her to describe the being in one word it would be disgusting. The bald, wrinkled skin protected from the scorching suns. The muzzle contracted and narrow. Two drooling tusks intervened from the mouth. But it was their food.

She aimed for a deadly shot at a slowly moving creature. In a direct battle, the _belay_ might have been very dangerous with its sharp tusks, but from the one creature such as this, their family could victual for a few weeks and even settle some for the dry season.

The creature turned its comparable little head towards the water, revealing the thin skin of its neck. She was already pressing the trigger, but out of sudden the ground beneath and the air heavily was shaken, followed by a powerful explosion. A cloud of dust rose into the air. Before she could react properly, a huge boulder rolled next to her, crushing everything in its path. Her attention was only dragged for a moment, but it was enough. By a sound scared belay bounced off from the spring, having forgotten the water, it was turning to run to the direction he crawled from a few moments ago.

Panicked that all this waiting would be in vain, she leaped from her position. There was no time for aiming, so she immediately squeezed the trigger, feeling as an arrow with great force left the temple.

Holding her breath, Thysa watched as the arrow flew through the air at tremendous speed before hitting the hind leg of a _belay_.

The arrowhead stuck deeply and the belay howled out of pain, but the shot was not fatal, nor did it stop the prey. Thysa just stood there desperate, not knowing what to do. From the total failure saved her mother. She pushed Thysa behind herself, opening her wide jaw. A forked tongue shot at a lightning speed towards the running belay. The muscular tongue wrapped around one of its short legs and was pulled back to Excetraagainst its own wish.

Not waiting for belay to respond she coiled around his body, slowly drawing air from its lungs. But belay wasn't going to give up so easily. He waved and kicked, trying to slip away from the coils of the excetra, But mother was too skilled to let that happen. The warmness that gave strengths for all Excetras was also on her side. The death-bringing coils pressed more and more while the belay tried to break free.

Thysa could only watch this duel of will and strengths. Her intervention could only hinder her mother. It also seemed that _belay's_ potency was slowly fading. Realizing that death was imminent, its eyes panicky ran sideways in search of any salvation. In the end, its gaze met hers and it appeared to her that she felt his fear and suffering caused by the lack of oxygen. She turned her look away.

It was their way of life that helped them stay strong, and only the strongest survive in nature. That's what her mother said. But was she strong enough? She didn't know that. But they had to do what they had to, even if it was unpleasant.

At that point, any sounds of fighting subsided. She leaned back. The gray belay body lay motionless. The mother slowly pulled away from him, pulling her tail off the creature. She breathed hard, her hands trembling slightly.

"Mother?" Thysa asked. The older Excetra turned towards her suddenly, before she added quickly. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes, yes," she predicted, as much as I could.

"It's a shame I missed it. I didn't want him to suffer, "Thysa said softly, looking at the wound she had inflicted, but her mother cut her off.

"You should not worry about whether the prey suffered or not. Belay could escape from us, leaving us empty-tailed and without food, "Mother's words hit coldly as steel, forcing her hood to shut in shame.

Probably when she saw this, her mother spoke a little more softly this time.

"What's more interesting to me is what caused this explosion in the first place."

Thysa had already forgotten the reason for her miss shot. She looked around, trying to remember from which side the noise came from.

"Whatever exploded, I think the blow came from there," Thysa nodded shyly toward where the dust cloud rose a few minutes ago.

The older Excetra took another deep breath before pulling in the direction she pointed.

The climb was difficult and their bodies were not adapted for climbing steep cliffs. Without strong nails, going deeply into the stone, it would be much harder or even impossible to do that at all. Finally, the grueling climb ended and two Excetras found themselves on top of a rock. Thysa overlooked a wide valley surrounded by mountains. It would have been a normal valley, no different from any other standing in the sierra, except for a smoking pit in the middle.

Thysa soon spotted Excetras, lurking around with various tasks. But with a better look, she realized her mistake. Instead of the usual green and orange, or blue scales, the so-called Excetras had white scales, brightly gleaming before the suns.

These were clones. The greatest insult to their race, invented by the Adventist authorities. There was one thing to use their planet to extract the blue crystal, but produce them like some kind of tools? It was unnatural and insulting to the existence of their race. She didn't even notice how her fists clenched.

Now Thysa has focused on clone tasks. From the trucks, decorated by the Advent symbol, white clones pulled huge metal parts and joined them into a single, giant ring. On its sides, Thysa recognized the ridges seen on the sides of an abandoned mine.

_It is the same horrible machine which made that dark abyss, _She realized.

"It seems much more effective than the traditional way. Maybe good. Fewer Excetras will have to slave in those hellish mines, "Mother said before her face darkened with shadow.

_She probably remembered father._

"I just wonder what they'll do to us when all the resources are mined. Will they leave us alone or get rid of how the townspeople get rid of their garbage.

Her mother's settled deep in her head. A feeling of something terrible and inevitable surrounded her.

"Let's go. There is still a good road to home, and there are only a few hours left before the _Merger_, " Mother`s voice woke up her from terrifying thoughts.

Thysa threw the last hateful glare at the metal monster, the threat to her known world as expecting it to broke up.

Unfortunately, nothing similar happened and the clones continued to constructing the giant ring. Thysa sighed and followed her mother down.


End file.
